Steering columns of passenger cars are designed to collapse during a collision in order to dissipate energy of a vehicle occupant engaging the steering wheel. Typically, steering columns are provided with deformable crash features for such energy dissipation. However, the optimum force with which the column should resist collapse depends on whether the driver is belted or unbelted, as well as other occupant factors, and may vary significantly. No known prior art steering column system includes variable energy dissipation characteristics enabling adjustment for such factors.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a steering column assembly with adjustable damping based upon these various factors, such as occupant weight, crash severity, etc., in order to optimize the energy dissipation characteristics of a collapsible steering column in a vehicle.